Restraint
by Faikitty
Summary: A harmless bit of flirting is just that: harmless. It is nothing more. Horitsuba Gakuen-verse. Hokuto/Tomoyo. Request.


**A/N:** Written as part of the CLAMP Secret Santa on Tumblr. The prompt I was given was: "HokuTomo, horitsuba!verse where hokuto is the textiles teacher and tomoyo is her star pupil, its almost scandalous how much they flirt with each other but it's mostly harmless…or is it? hohoho."

Don't ask why Hokuto is a teacher while Subaru is seen in the manga as being a student. It was part of the request, so it is what I did. Just don't question it. Shhh.

For simplicity's sake, the Syaoran whose point of view the majority of this is from is the Syaoran who gets all flustered in Horitsuba Gakuen when he's with Sakura. I refer to his brother (the one who is quite adorably snarky in the AU) only by "twin," "brother," etc., because Syaoran/Shaoran is just too hard to keep track of.

I think that's all I needed to say. Enjoy the unusual pairing.

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* * *

Lately, Syaoran has begun to notice something odd going on between his textiles teacher and her star pupil.

From the start, they were never terribly distant. They seemed to form an instant bond over their mutual love of sewing, and a few class periods failed to really begin since Hokuto was too interested in her student's thoughts on whether her current project should be done using an awning or Bengal pattern. Syaoran inadvertently fell asleep during one such period, dreaming of bright printed trefoil and boteh fabric.

In the more recent days, however, they seem to have grown even closer (even if class _does_ always start on time now, after a tongue lashing from one of the teacher's higher ups). Hokuto's eyes are almost always on Tomoyo, and her face lights up when the girl enters the room. Her fingers brush along Tomoyo's wrists for longer than necessary when helping her with her sewing. Even Tomoyo's face is a telling, however light, shade of pink when the teacher leans in close. On some days, the two seem to have a secret that no one else is in on.

Today is one such day. It's warm, summer in full swing, and the whir of fans fill the room without making much of a difference in the sticky heat. Voices are quiet as the students jabber, waiting for the lesson to begin while no one really expects it to begin in full. A few have already set their bags on their desks and their heads on their bags and are taking the opportunity to get in a quick nap.

Hokuto enters with a few brisk steps and claps her hands, as full of energy as ever despite the heat. "Okay, class. Today we're going to be finishing our formal wear. You should all have a pretty good start to it, but don't hesitate to ask if you don't understand what you're supposed to be doing."

Nobody pays the woman much mind; only a few retrieve their fabric and sit at the sewing machines. One of these is, of course, Tomoyo. Syaoran nods at her as she walks by smiling at him in greeting. She takes a seat at her usual machine, and Hokuto immediately heads in her direction.

"Bro, what are you doing?" Syaoran jumps, startled by the voice so similar to his. "Sakura-chan will get jealous if you stare at Tomoyo-chan and Hokuto-sensei for too long."

Syaoran turns his back on the girls to face his twin, who gazes back with the teasing light in his eyes he always seems to have. "W-What are you talking about?" he stammers, face turning red.

His brother just grins at him before looking at Hokuto and Tomoyo himself. "Do you think they're dating?" he asks with an only vaguely interested voice, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hand.

"Who? Hokuto-sensei and Tomoyo-chan? No, I… I've never really thought about it," Syaoran admits, watching the two once more. In the quiet of the room, he can hear their voices soft in the stillness.

Hokuto leans over Tomoyo, the younger girl intent on her work. "What a lovely dress," the teacher compliments, a sly tone to her voice. "I would expect no less from you. Who is it for? Yourself?"

Tomoyo looks up with warm eyes. "Actually, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind modeling it for me, sensei," she asks. Her face is so innocently questioning that any suspicions Syaoran had of the pair being an actual couple flee instantly.

"Really? I'm not so sure this part here would fit me," Hokuto intones, motioning to the breast area of the dress, and Tomoyo giggles her signature laugh.

"Ohohoho, that can always be adjusted as needed. If I have to make some fixes while you wear it, then so be it. It's not as if there's anything I haven't seen before." Tomoyo's eyebrow rises just barely as she speaks, and Hokuto's face breaks out into a smile.

"I might have to take you up on that offer. After all, I would love to see the results of your hard work with those skilled fingers of yours." The tips of Hokuto's fingers drift lightly along Tomoyo's forearm, stopping at her elbow to move onto her shoulder in a clasp.

Even Syaoran, oblivious as he is, can't deny that that _does_ sound a tad like an innuendo. His brother, when he glances back at him, just smirks. Syaoran sighs, pulls out his fabric, and heads over to a spare sewing machine to start on his work and ignore his brother.

* * *

Unfortunately for the boy, he is far from a talented seamstress. He tries his best with hand sewing until the period ends and then quickly gathers up his materials for the next period. Throughout the day, he has a lingering feeling he's forgetting something. It isn't until after school when he's walking outside to meet his brother and Sakura that he feels something prick his finger when he reaches into his bag. It's a needle, accidentally stolen from the sewing and textiles room.

As he stands at the door to the room, one hand poised to knock, something makes him stop. He stands on his toes and peers through the small window in the door, and for some unknown reason, even when he knows he should move immediately, he doesn't.

Inside the darkened classroom, Hokuto leans against a desk with Tomoyo perched on her hips. The younger girl's skirt is hoisted up above her waist, and despite the dim light Syaoran can see the curves of her thighs holding her tight against the teacher. Her hands are pressed on either side of Hokuto's face, while the woman's fingers are tangled up in her long hair, pulling her in closer. One hand cups the small of Tomoyo's back. Hokuto's lips separate from Tomoyo's and wander down her neck, kisses pressed lightly against her collarbone, careful not to leave marks where they can't be hidden. When she reaches the girl's shoulder and tugs the fabric of the shirt covering it down with her lips, her kisses become rougher, more needy. She nips at the freed skin with eager teeth.

Tomoyo's eyes lid and her mouth opens only barely, sounds escaping her lips between hitched breaths. The hushed moans are instantly silenced by Hokuto's kiss, her mouth once again where it began.

"Your voice is beautiful, my love, but I want your moans to be a sound only _I_ ever hear," Hokuto murmurs against her skin. "Some stray listener may hear, and you may draw attention to us if you're too loud…" A finger strays lower, stroking across Tomoyo's breasts.

_Time to go_, Syaoran decides, and he nearly stumbles over the air in embarrassment as he hurries to get away. Such an intimate scene between the two is not for his eyes. In his haste, he drops the needle, but he has no intention of returning for it.

_Looks like my brother was right_.

* * *

Tomoyo's ears perk at the sound of footsteps, and she draws back hastily, a finger on Hokuto's lips. Suddenly she is all too aware of the state of disarray her clothes are in. "What was that?" she asks quietly. "I thought I heard…"

Hokuto strains, trying to listen for the sound of any possible interloper. She turns her head, her hands keeping Tomoyo steadily balanced on her hips, and out of the corner of her eye she sees the glint of a small needle as it rolls into the room. She returns her attention to Tomoyo and plants a kiss on the side of her cheek. "Nothing. Just someone returning something they borrowed."

Tomoyo's head tilts slightly as she gazes into her lover's eyes, but the confidence is contagious and she presses her body against Hokuto's once more, warmth pooling in her stomach as Hokuto's skilled fingers tip toe along her thighs. She sighs and presses a warm kiss on her teacher's lips. "Don't stop, then."


End file.
